Uhuru urges youth to step up and lead Africa

Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta has called on young Africans to take leadership into their own hands today, warning that those who wait for the future to hand them power risk missing their moment.

Speaking at the IGAD Leadership Academy (ILA) Annual Alumni Conference at Windsor Hotel, Nairobi, on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, Uhuru challenged delegates to abandon the notion of leaders of tomorrow and act boldly in shaping Africa’s future.

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According to a post by the Office of the 4th President of Kenya, on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, he emphasised that Africa’s progress depends on the courage, ideas, and commitment of young people now.

Kenyatta reminded the audience that Kenya’s early leaders, including figures like Tom Mboya and Kenneth Matiba, began shaping the nation in their twenties, proving that age is no barrier to meaningful impact.

He encouraged the youth to emulate this spirit of initiative, stressing that leadership is demonstrated through action, not waiting.

“If you continue believing you are the leaders of tomorrow, that tomorrow will never come. You are the leaders of today. Your ideas, your courage, your personal commitment will shape the future of Africa,”he said

IGAD alumni gather

The conference, themed “Harnessing Youth Leadership to Drive Africa’s Growth,” brought together alumni of the IGAD Leadership Academy, members of the diplomatic corps, and regional leaders, including IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu and Senator Crystal Asige.

The event celebrated a new generation of ethical, collaborative African leadership.

During his keynote address, Kenyatta applauded young people taking initiative on social and humanitarian issues, describing their unity as evidence that Africa’s renewal has already begun.

He urged the youth to pursue excellence, work collaboratively across borders, and commit themselves to ethical leadership.

Leaders needed now

In his remarks, IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu reminded alumni that they are not leaders-in-waiting but the leaders Africa needs today.

He emphasised that lasting regional cooperation requires the energy, vision, and innovation of the youth.

“The future doesn’t begin when we hand you responsibility. The future accelerates when we work together, when your innovation joins hands with our experience, when your urgency meets our resources, when your vision rallies with our commitment to build a brighter future for our people,” he said.

He challenged the alumni to lead fearlessly, innovate, build, and transform their communities while preserving what is worth preserving.

Other dignitaries at the event included Musalia Mudavadi, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs; Ambassador Riina-Riikka Heikka of Finland; Tomonobu Hori, Deputy Chief of Mission of Japan; and Nominated Senator Crystal Asige, who encouraged the youth to pursue leadership with depth, purpose, and humility.